Anthony Riley, a street performer from Philadelphia who competed in January on The Voice, was found dead yesterday of a suspected suicide. He was 28 years old. According to good family friend Tootsie Iovine, the aspiring artist was found in the basement of an apartment in downtown Philadelphia where he was living. Riley spent the last 10 years or so performing on the streets around Philadelphia’s Center City. He made his way into the spotlight early this year when he auditioned for NBC’s smash singing competition. Riley belted out a version of James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good)” for his blind audition… and, within mere moments, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera and Pharrell Williams all turned around in their chairs. This made Rile the fastest contestant to ever be selected by the coaching quartet. Anthony Riley Blind Audition In the end, Riley selected Williams as his mentor and proceeded to win his first battle. Soon after, he told producers that he had been struggling with substance abuse issues and left the show to enter rehab back in Philly. We send his family and friends our thoughts and prayers. View Slideshow: Celebrities We Lost in 2015
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Anthony Riley Dies; Former Voice Contestant Was 28